PRESS RELEASE : Two Trustees reappointed to the National Portrait Gallery [December 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 5 December 2023.
The Prime Minister has reappointed Dr Mark Cecil and Chris Grayling MP as Trustees of the National Portrait Gallery for terms of 4 years.
Mark Cecil
Reappointed from 11 May 2024 until 10 May 2028.
Mark Cecil had a 34 year career in Investment management, being a founding partner of Jabre Capital Partners from 2007 – 2019. He currently acts as an investment advisor to several Family Offices.
Mark qualified as a Medical Doctor from St Thomas’s Hospital Medical school in 1982 before obtaining an MBA from INSEAD business school in 1985. He was a founding Patron of the National Portrait Gallery and has sat on the Development Council for several years and more recently the Campaign Council.
Chris Grayling
Reappointed from 11 May 2024 until 10 May 2028.
Chris Grayling was first elected as MP for Epsom and Ewell in 2001. He served for seventeen years on the Conservative Front Bench, and for twelve as a Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet minister. His roles included, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons, and the Employment and Transport briefs
He returned to the back benches in July 2019.
He is currently Vice-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on International Conservation and a senior member of the British American Parliamentary Group. He has won awards for his work engaging young people from minority ethnic backgrounds in politics and as parliamentary species champion for the hedgehog.
Prior to becoming an MP he worked in the television and communications industries, as a producer for BBC News and Channel Four, helping to run a number of independent production businesses and finally as a management consultant specialising in training, internal communication and change management.
He has been a Trustee of the National Portrait Gallery since 2020, and currently Chairs its Finance and Operations Committee. He also served on the Project Board of the recently completed restoration project for the Gallery, and sits on its Commercial Board.
Chris is married to Sue and they have two adult children. He is a regular and enthusiastic supporter of Manchester United.
Remuneration and Governance Code
Trustees of the National Portrait Gallery are not remunerated. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Mark Cecil has not declared any significant political activity. Chris Grayling is currently the Conservative Member of Parliament for Epsom and Ewell.
